WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Indiana-Michigan State game went final right around the time Purdue and Ohio State were standing for the national anthem on Saturday, so the under-16 media timeout brought forth the rarest of occasions.

At Mackey Arena, there was an ovation for an Indiana win.

During the timeout, Purdue showed on its center court video boards a replay of the final seconds of the Hoosiers’ 63-62 victory over the No. 6 Spartans, so fans could see IU freshman Rob Phinisee harassing Michigan State star Cassius Winston into a missed desperation attempt at the buzzer. The cheers weren’t the ear-piercing ones you usually get at Mackey when the Boilermakers go on a run, but they were hearty enough because at that moment, this team’s dream became as real as it’s ever been.

This Purdue squad, which is replacing four starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team and does not include a player who was rated in the top 60 of his...